Quick-acting c-clamp



April 17, 1951 J. SPARLING 2,549,256

QUICK ACTING C CLAMP Filed Jan. 16, 1948 James Spar/mg INVENTOR.

aadflwym Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES eArENT OFFICE QUICK-ACTIN G C-CLAMP James Spar-ling, Newilork, N. Y. Application January 16, 1948, Serial-No. 2,749

, 1 Claim. 3

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Clamps and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a C-type clamp so designed as to facilitate work of the same thickness to be clamped relative thereto in a quick and precise manner.

Another important object of the present invention is toprovide a o-type clamp including a fixture, a slidable clamping screw supporting member carried by said clamp for movement relative to said fixture; and novel and improved means for conveniently actuating said supporting member into clamping engagement with the fixture or for releasing said supporting member from a clamppositionwith the fixture.

A further object of the present invention isto provide a G-type clamp including a stationary jaw, a movable clamping screw cooperating with the jaw, and novel and improved link means for effecting a longitudina1 thrust on the clamping.

screw for clamping engagement with the jaw.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a clamp that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side eievational view of the clamp substantially in the direction of arrow Number tially U-shaped orb-shaped body portion of the present clamp generally, comprising preferably spaced parallel leg portions I2 and I4. One of the, leg portions, for example leg portion i2 is integrally formed with a stationary or fixed jaw to that opposes a cylindrical guide member If; integrally formed with the other of said leg portions, namely, leg portion i4.

' Slidably mounted in a preferably square bore 25 provided in the guide member 18, is a preferably rectangular supporting block 22 havingan enlarged head portion 24 which functions as a stop to limit the inward movement of the supporting block relative to the guide It. This supporting block 22 is provided with an internally threaded, longitudinal bore 26 that adjustably engages an externally threaded clamping screw 28 having a universal pressure plate 39 at one end that opposes the fixed jaw It. The opposite end of this clamping screw 28 is provided with a knurled surfaced finger engaging knob 32 for selective adjustment of the clamping screw in th bore 25.

The numeral (M represents the support actuating lever used in conjunction with present in-- vention generally, comprising a substantially channel-shaped bell crank lever 36 having a pair of outwardly diverging end portions 38 that terminate in spaced parallel attaching cars 40. The opposite end portions 42 of the bell crank lever 36 are angulated to provide a further pair of spaced parallel attaching ears #4.

Rigidly secured to the outer face of the leg portion 44, is an ear 46 that supports a pivot pin 38 which extend through central apertures 50 provided in the bell crank lever 36. The car 46 is received between the spaced sides of the lever 35, as shown in Figure 3.

The attaching ears MI are pivotally secured by rivets or the like 52 to diametrically opposite sides of the head portion 24, so that these rivets 52 W11 align the longitudinal axis of the clamping screw 28.

Fixedly secured to the outer surface of the leg portion l4, adjacent its fixed end, is a pair of spaced parallel ears 54 that support a pivot pin 56 which pivotally engages one end of a connectll'lg link 58. The free end of this link 58 is bifurcated as at 60 to pivotally engage a transverse pivot pin 62 extending between the enlarged side portions 64 of an arcuate, channel shaped handle 55. These side portions 54 are further pivoted to the attaching ears 44 by a further pivot pin 66.

In practical use of the present clamp, the clamp screw 28 is selectively adjusted relative to the 3 supporting block 22, so that when the handle 55 is pushed inwardly toward the body Ill, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the ears 44 of the bell crank lever 36 will pivot outwardly and the ears 40 of the bell crank lever 36'will pivot downwardly to effect an inward sliding movement of the support block 22 and the screw 28 will move toward the fixed jaw 30 to clamp a piece of work between the pressure plate 30 and the fixed jaw 16. To release the screw 28, it is merely necessary to pull outwardly upon the handle 65 which will extend the block 22 outwardly from the guide I8 and the clamping screw 28 in a position spaced or spread relative to the fixture l6.

Obviously, the guide 18 may be provided with a circular bore to slidably engage a cylindrical support with a guide groove formed in the support and a guide lug carried by the block 22 to engage the guide groove, so that the block may slide in the guide 18 without rotation.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein.

described and the scope of the appended claim. Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A clamp comprising a substantially U-shaped body including first and second legportions, a jaw on the first leg portion, a guide onthe second leg portion in registry with the jaw, a support slidably and non-rotatably carried by the guide for movement toward and away from the jaw, a clamping screw adjustably carried by said support for positioning relative to the jaw, a bellcrank lever pivoted intermediate its ends on'said.

second leg portion adjacent said guide and including forward and rear bifurcated portions, the forward bifurcated portion of said lever receivingsaid support, pivots securing the forward bifurcated portion tosaid support, a handle having an end received between the rear bifurcated portion of said lever, a pivot pin securing the rear bifurcated portion to said one end of said handle, and a connecting link terminally pivoted to said second leg portion at a point spaced rearwardly from said guide and to said handle at a point spaced rearwardly from said one end of 'said handle, to provide a togglelinkage between the rear portion of the bell crank lever and the second leg portion of the body of the clamp. JAMES SPARLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Petersen Mar. '7, 1944 

